Schools in China say they weren’t behind hacking
Two prominent schools in China are disputing allegations that hacking attacks on Google and other firms originated from them, reports the Associated Press.
Notification delay surfaces in Alabama shootings
Nearly an hour passed before University of Alabama at Huntsville officials dispatched emergency notification to students and faculty after fatal shootings allegedly committed by a professor, raising new questions about campus-based alert systems.
Center to focus on high-tech evolution
Forget fossils and DNA comparisons. A new center at Michigan State University will shift the focus of evolution from the past to the future, reports the Free Press.
Judge delays Google book ruling
As educators and researchers await a landmark decision with enormous implications for schools and colleges, a Manhattan judge says it will take some time to decide whether Google can legally build the world’s biggest digital library.
More Americans skeptical of higher education
An increasing percentage of Americans believe colleges and universities prioritize profit margin over educational quality—a claim educators refute as unfair, especially during the current economic downturn.
Shooting cripples Ala. university department
The Associated Press reports that a professor who police say was injured by a bullet fired by his colleague remains in a neuro-intensive care unit, but microbiologist Joseph Leahy is making progress and his fight to recover mirrors the challenge facing the biology department that saw three of its members snatched away in one afternoon.
MSU starts online ed technology doctorate option
Michigan State University is starting an online option in its Ph.D. program in educational technology, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Duncan pushes back against private lenders
Responding to private lenders’ lobbying efforts against White House plans for direct federal loans, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Feb. 17 that he trusts the U.S. Senate will pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) and “end this boondoggle for banks.”
Privacy group files FTC complaint on Google Buzz
A privacy watchdog group complained to federal regulators on Feb. 16 about Google’s new Buzz social networking service, saying it violates federal consumer protection law, reports the Associated Press.
Smart phones under growing threat from hackers
Smart phones are under a growing menace from cyber-criminals seeking to hack into web-connected handsets, but the mobile industry has contained the threat so far, AFP reports.